An international team of scientists featuring Florida State University researchers has developed a model that predicts the spread of vortices in so-called superfluids, work that provides new insight into the physics that govern turbulence.
The researchers created a model that shows the spread and speed of tornado-like tubes in superfluids. Classical physics studies turbulence and the key ingredient is the vexed tube. In a wide range of scenarios, such as the formation of hurricanes, the airborne transmission of viruses and the chemical mixing in star formation, the motion of the tube is relevant. It's difficult to understand in quantum fluids.
The results of the previous study were reported in a narrow temperature range. Liquids that can flow without resistance are called superfluids. They form rotating waves when stirred.
An associate professor of mechanical engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering said that by showing that the model describes the movement of vortices at a wide range of temperatures, they are confirmation of a universal rule. The development of advanced theoretical models of quantum fluid turbulence could be aided by this discovery.
In the previous study, Guo and his team traced the tube that appeared in superfluid helium-4, a quantum fluid that exists at extremely low temperatures. The team used tiny particles that were caught in the air to track their movements. The tubes' seemingly random motion allowed them to find out that the vortices spread out much faster than expected. Superdiffusion is a rapid spread.
The researchers built a numerical model and used findings from their previous study to make sure the model was accurate. They were able to predict how the tubes would form and spread. The physical mechanism that the authors proposed was supported by the simulation.
Researchers want to understand turbulence in quantum fluids so that they can use it in practical applications such as the fabrication of nanowires. Particles that group together in incredibly thin lines are attracted by vespers. nanowires have a thickness measured in nanometers and can be manufactured with that control.
Particle dispersion in turbulent flow is a very active topic in the classical turbulence field, but it has received less attention in the quantum-fluid community. Particle dispersion in quantum fluids could be stimulated by our work.
The paper co- authors are Satoshi Yui and Makoto Tsubota from Osaka Metropolitan University. The paper was selected as an editors' suggestion.
More information: Satoshi Yui et al, Universal Anomalous Diffusion of Quantized Vortices in Ultraquantum Turbulence, Physical Review Letters (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.129.025301 Journal information: Physical Review Letters
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